Rizal Day, or December 30 of every year, is a regular national holiday to commemorate the life and works of our national hero Jose Rizal, who spent and sacrificed his life fighting for our country’s freedom from the Spanish invaders until his execution in Bagumbayan (now Luneta) 127 years ago on the said date in 1896.

Aside from remembering and appreciating his contributions to the independence and history of our country up to the present, another way of paying tribute to him is, perhaps, by remembering his full name, which not a lot of Filipinos know. Well, just in case you’ve already forgotten or you still don’t know, it’s Jose Protacio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda.

While it has been known that Jose is our national hero’s first name, did you know that there are Kapamilya stars who have “Jose” in their biological names, too? Find out who they are in this edition of Kapamilya Snaps!

Piolo Pascual

Many people in and out of showbiz, especially ladies, usually regard him as “Papa P.” However, some of his colleagues or those who are very close to him fondly call him by his nickname “PJ” which is actually short for his full name Piolo Jose Nonato Pascual.

In the more than two decades that he’s been in the local entertainment scene, he’s already appeared in a slew of successful movies and television programs, with the sitcom My Papa Pi and the Philippine adaptation of the Korean drama Flower of Evil as among his latest projects. He may already be in his 40s, yet he’s still able to win our hearts with his ageless grandeur, stunning presence, and swooning vocals. Thus, there’s definitely no wonder why he is dubbed “Ultimate Heartthrob.”

Vice Ganda

With blockbuster films and highly successful shows under his belt, there’s clearly no doubt that Vice is one of the most influential personalities in the history of Pinoy showbiz. Through the years, he already headlined a slew of blockbuster films, sold-out concerts, and top-rating and long-running shows, such as Gandang Gabi Vice, It’s Showtime, and Everybody, Sing!

However, even though he’s already reached the “Unkabogable Star” status, he has remained grounded and has never forgotten his roots as “Tutuy”, a.k.a. Jose Marie Viceral.

Ogie Alcasid

In the three decades that he’s been in the entertainment scene, Ogie has triumphantly established himself as a legendary singer and songwriter.

And from being a singer-songwriter who gifted us with classic love songs like “Ikaw Sana,” “Nandito Ako”, “Bakit Ngayon Ka Lang,” and “Dito Sa Puso Ko”, he went on to become a multihyphenate, impressing us with his acting, comedic, and hosting chops. In recent years, he’s been a part of ASAP Natin ‘To and It’s Showtime. But whenever he’s not in front of the cameras, he simply lives as Herminio Jose Lualhati Alcasid Jr.

Gary Valenciano

From one icon to another, Gary has also been in the industry for more than 40 years. And he’s among the well-rounded artists that we know because he cannot only sing and dance onstage, but he can write songs, host a TV show, and even act, too! Today, he continues to treat fans with concert-level performances on ASAP Natin ‘To and lend his voice to the official soundtracks of teleseryes, such as FPJ’s Batang Quiapo.

He may be also known as Mr. Pure Energy on the stage, but he is also loved as Edgardo Jose Santiago Valenciano behind the scenes.

Carlo Aquino

With his striking charisma and impressive flair in acting, it wasn’t impossible for Carlo to rise to fame as one of the most talented child stars of his generation. And at present, he’s among the most in-demand leading men, with How To Move On In 30 Days and La Vida Lena as two of his latest appearances in a series.

Those who have been following him on Instagram probably wonder why his profile name is “Jose Liwanag,” Well, that’s because his real full name is actually Carlo Jose Liwanag Aquino.

Joel Torre

Joel’s career goes way back to the late 70s when he took part in the Lino Brocka film “Gumising Ka, Maruja”, then in the Peque Gallaga masterpiece “Oro, Plata, Mata”. Through the years, he’s able to amaze viewers with his incredible dramatic performances both in TV and film. And most recently, he’s lauded for his portrayal of Abe/Olan in the controversial primetime series Dirty Linen.

However, did you know that he’s actually named after our national hero? He’s given the name Jose Rizalino de Leon Torre since he was born on June 19, 1961, exactly a century after Jose Rizal. Another interesting fact about him is that he got to play the revered patriot in the 1999 critically acclaimed flick “Bayaning 3^rd World” directed by Mike de Leon.

Dominic Ochoa

As he possesses mestizo looks and irresistible charm, there’s no doubt that Dominic was among the “Crush ng Bayan” from the late 90s up to the early 2000s, along with his Gimik and Whattamen co-stars Marvin Agustin and the late Rico Yan.

Throughout his more than two decades in the industry, he starred in various movies and teleseryes, including the 2016 superhero drama Super D, which serves as his first leading role in a series. In November 2022, he was among the recipients of the Star Magic Loyalty Award for his 25 prolific years in ABS-CBN.

He may have already played different characters onscreen, but we assume that his most favorite role in life is being Jose Madrigal Ochoa – the real him.

CJ Navato

We’re capping off this list with CJ, who has been building his name in show business since his Star Circle Kid Quest Season 1 days. He might have fallen short of becoming the grand winner, yet he has managed to carve his path in the industry as a promising actor and impressive singer. The last time that we’d seen him in a TV program was in the highly popular drama Dirty Linen, wherein he took on the character of Dennis, the best friend and workmate of Seth Fedelin’s Nico.

He may be a millennial, but his real name is actually a mix of modern and classic because “CJ” stands for Christianne Jose Navato.

Do you know other celebrities whose real name is “Jose”, Kapamilya?